Metatron
Metatron is the name of an angel in some branches of Judaism and Christianity. However, there is no consensus as to his genesis or the role that he plays in the hierarchy of Heaven and Hell. According to one school of thought, Enoch was taken by God and transformed into Metatron. However, this viewpoint is not shared by many Talmudic authorities.
The Zohar identifies Metatron as the angel that led the people of Israel through the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt, and both the Talmud and Targum identify Metatron as the link between God and humanity. Metatron is also mentioned in the Pseudepigrapha, most notably in the Book of Enoch. According to Johann Eisenmenger, Metatron transmits the daily orders of God to the angels Gabriel and Sammael.
Musician Carlos Santana claims that the revitalization of his career in the 21st century is due to Metatron. Santana claims that Metatron visits him while he meditates and describes it as a white, bearded angel.
Metatron in fiction
Metatron appears as a major character in the film Dogma, where he is played by Alan Rickman. Here he is the voice of God, who cannot speak directly to a human, because the voice of God is so powerful it would kill the person. "We went through five Adams before we figured that out," he drolly comments.
Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow also features Metatron.
In Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's novel Good Omens, the Metatron works like the voice of God, similar to the film Dogma, but it is unsure if people will blow up if they hear His own voice or not. In an explanatory foot note, "The Voice Of God" is likened to a Presidential Press Secretary.
In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, Metatron is an angel and Regent of the Kingdom of Heaven, hence in league with The Authority (God). It is mentioned that Metatron had been known as Enoch before, but then was somehow made angelic upon death.
In the computer game series Silent Hill, a recurring symbol is eventually revealed to be a talisman of Metatron, with the power to dispel evil.
See also
Alternate spelling: Metraton